


Filtered Memories Through a Chocolate Haze

by RosieCheeks101



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: - very minor but I thought I'd tag it in case, But also, Coming of Age, Gay Male Character, Gen, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Male-Female Friendship, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Post-The Trials of Apollo, Pre-The Lightning Thief, Stolen Moments, platonic, time jumps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 01:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6882730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieCheeks101/pseuds/RosieCheeks101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annabeth and Connor are best friends, and have been since they were 9 and 10 respectfully. How will their friendship grow as they do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Filtered Memories Through a Chocolate Haze

"C'mon Annabeth, you know I didn't mean to make you that upset!" Connor calls after the retreating 10 year old's back.

His older brother is glaring when he turns around, "You told me she was scared of spiders, not absolutely petrified by them!" Travis snaps, holding the box with the spider in question tightly. 

He twists the hem of his flannelette shirt between his pudgy fingers, "I didn't know!" 

Travis sighs, like Connor's his stupid kid brother who's constantly stuffing up, which makes Connor frown self consciously, "Go apologise to her, buttface." 

"Why do I have to apologise?" 

"Cause we wouldn't have put a spider in her bed if it weren't for you. Also, she scares me, she likes you," Travis says, and the condescending big brother's gone. He jogs off to set the spider free before Connor can protest, "See ya." 

Connor sighs, and trudges up to where he knows Annabeth will be sitting. 

She's sitting in their spot, looking out over camp. Her eyes are following Luke down in the training arena and she's drawing on her leg absentmindedly with a blue pen. 

"Hey Banana Breath," he says as he sits down beside her, "'m sorry." 

She shakes her head, blonde bob bouncing, "You didn't know how scared I was. You're new, how could you?" 

"It was still mean," he says simply, lying down. 

She laughs, "Yes, it was." 

Just like that, the argument passes, "How's Luke going? Who's he fighting?" 

"One of the Aphrodite girls, it's a close match." 

He nods, clearly distracted, and after a minute speaks up again, "How long does it take most campers to get claimed?" 

The question catches her off guard, the pen stilling on her skin, "Why? Are you having trouble in Cabin 11?" 

He shakes his head quickly, "No, I like it, but I wanna know who my dad is, I've never had a dad before." 

He notices Annabeth frown slightly, pursing her lips, "Sometimes demigods get claimed immediately, sometimes it takes years or..." 

"Sometimes not at all. Then I'll be stuck in the Hermes cabin forever?" 

She doesn't respond, and the pen starts moving along her leg again. 

"I dunno, being stuck in the Hermes cabin forever doesn't sound too bad," he muses. The nine year old pulls a packet of chocolates out of his pocket and offers it to her, "M&M?" 

"I'm gonna get you back for the prank," she says, taking a handful. 

"I'm counting on it." 

* * *

"I can't believe you're going on a quest, Smarty Pants," Connor smiles from his spot atop Annabeth's bunk, he watches as she rushes around packing a backpack, "Stop panicking, you'll be fine." 

"I am not panicking!" she snaps, shoving her hat into the bag besides her book on Ancient Greece, "I'm being prepared." 

He rolls his eyes and throws his red handball against the roof again, "Sure sure." 

"You're a twerp, you know that?" she says, smiling up at him briefly. He sticks his tongue out and she laughs, returning her attention to the bag. 

Something hits the back of her head and she spins around to look at the packet of M&Ms sitting on the ground. She looks up with a raised eyebrow but puts them in the backpack anyway. 

He doesn't offer an explanation, instead standing up, "I'm gonna go find Travis," he says, "We're pranking the Demeter cabin." 

She rolls her eyes, "Of course you are." 

He smiles as he leaves the cabin, "Stay safe." 

As they're leaving she looks up at their spot, and sees Connor grinning down at her. 

* * *

Connor stops Malcolm when he sees him outside of the camp store, "Hey, have you seen Brainiac?" 

Malcolm looks at him exasperatedly, "Annabeth said she needed some time alone," he says, "I don't know where she went. Some time alone will be good for her anyway, what with Percy missing." 

"Thanks man," he says, already running towards the hill. 

She's sitting on the mattress they dragged up to their spot a couple years ago, knees hugged to her chest. Her eyes are red and puffy and she doesn't look up when he sits down beside her. 

"You wanna rant?" he asks. 

"Do you have chocolate?" she replies, and he smiles and pulls the bag out from behind his back. 

"You know it." 

She takes a handful and shoves it into her mouth, "I know it's unfair, but I can't help thinking Percy's a dick, for disappearing," she says around the chocolates. 

"No no I get it. I mean, personally I've never been caught up in an explosion that left one of my friends missing and possibly dead, but I have blamed people for things that weren't their fault." 

"Connor Stoll holding a grudge? That'd be the day," she snorts, reaching for the M&Ms again. 

"I mean it," he says, "I hate my dad sometimes, for leaving," he pauses, then elaborates, "I mean. I get that all Godly parents leave, they have to. But...he stuck around for _two years_ after Travis was born, but he couldn't stick around to see me born," he looks over at her, "Sorry, it's your moment." 

She shakes her head, "It's fine, you bring chocolate you can talk as much as you like." 

He laughs, tugging at her ponytail affectionately, "I'll make an addict of you yet." 

She smiles, but there's a hint of sadness to her expression. He doesn't comment though. 

* * *

"I can't do this, Owl Eyes," he says, shaking his head and starting back down the pathway to the street. 

Annabeth sighs and grabs his hand tightly, tugging him back toward the tiny house, "You're Connor-Fucking-Stoll, you can do anything." 

"She left me when I was nine Annabeth, I haven't spoken to her in _ten years_ , there is no way she wants to see me." 

"Maybe she's changed," she says, taking his hands into her own. 

That causes him to snort, "There's an empty bottle of whiskey in the pot," he says, pointing. Her eyes drift towards it and she sighs loudly. 

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you aren't the least bit curious about her, and we can leave," she says gently. He pauses, trying to make the words come out, but they weren't. Before he can protest Annabeth reaches up to the doorbell and presses it, her free hand still encasing his. 

There's a loud grumbling from within the house, and the door opens. 

His mother hasn't changed much, just a few extra grey hairs among the black. 

"Carmen Stoll?" Annabeth asks. 

Yes, can I ask what you're doing here?" 

"Don't you recognise your own son?" Annabeth says, smiling civilly. 

She looks back at Connor and frowns, "Which one're you?" 

"Annabeth this was a mistake," he starts, tugging at her hand, but she stands her ground. He gives in with a sigh, "I'm Connor." 

"I suppose you want to come in?" she asks. 

Annabeth nods, "If you don't mind of course." 

She huffs slightly but doesn't complain as she let's them in, "So, where's your brother?" 

"Travis didn't want to see you, and he's busy with his studies anyway," Connor says, struggling to sound polite. 

Carmen spreads out on the sofa in the living room and Annabeth and Connor find themselves jammed into an entirely too small love seat together. 

"You've grown up," she says, almost affectionately, Connor wonders what's changed between the door and here, but he remembers she always had epic mood shifts. 

"That's what happens when you don't see your kid for eleven years," he can't help but snarl, and glances around the room at the numerous bottles, "I see you haven't kicked any old habits." 

She doesn't respond to the statement, instead changing the subject, "Do you kids want some snacks?" she gets up and wanders into the kitchen before either of them can actually respond. 

"This was a really shitty idea," he mumbles, putting his head in his hands. 

She pats his back, "She doesn't seem that bad, maybe a little out of it." 

"She's always been like that," he says with a shake of his head, "Changing her demeanour at the drop of a hat." 

"Look at you using fancy words." 

Miss Stoll comes back into the room then, carrying a bowl of potato chips. 

"Um, Miss Stoll? Would you mind telling me where the bathroom is?" Annabeth asks, and Connor looks up at her with betrayal written clearly on his face. She just mouths a sorry and stands up. 

They sit in silence for a minute, Connor picking absently at the bowl of chips, before his mother speaks, "So...how long have you two been together?" 

He chokes on his mouthful and looks up at her, "Excuse me?" 

"You and the Annabeth girl, you're together, aren't you?" 

Connor rolls his eyes, "No, we're not. Annabeth has a boyfriend, and she's not my type." 

"You're missing out, she's a beautiful girl," Carmen shrugs, there's a hostile undertone and he really wishes Annabeth hadn't left. 

"I'm aware, but once again, she's not my type," he says through gritted teeth, and the truth slips out before he can stop himself, "I'm gay, mom." 

Another mood shift, her brown eyes darken, "I always knew one of you would grow up a _queer_ , fucking Greeks," she snarls, and he's reminded of the look on her face when she dropped them off at Camp Half-Blood and muttered _good riddance_ and he wants to curl up in a ball like he did that first night. 

"Connor, we have to go." 

He looks up and Annabeth is standing between him and his mother, muscles tense like she's ready to jump into action at any moment. He silently thanks Athena for the blessing that is her daughter as he rises out of the love seat. 

He manages to keep a calm demeanour until him and Annabeth are down the road, passed the park he played on as a kid. Then he breaks down. 

They sit together on the sidewalk, his head in her lap while she mutters into his hair, "She doesn't deserve you two...she's such a terrible person Connor...I'm so sorry I left you alone with her...I owe you all the M &Ms in the world Con...you're Connor-Fucking-Stoll and you did it..." 

They sit like that for a long time. 

* * *

"Con-meister, my main man!" Percy smiles as he swings the door to Annabeth's New Rome apartment open and let's him inside. 

"Hey Percy," he grins. 

"Hey I'm sorry I can't make it to the party, I've just got so much study to do." 

"It's alright," he says, patting his back. Then he calls out to Annabeth, "You ready to go Brainiac?" 

She comes stumbling out of the bedroom, doing up her strappy shoes in a grey dress, "Yeah yeah, c'mon," she presses a kiss to Percy's lips and links her arm with Connor's. 

"Don't bring her home too early," Percy calls out of the door as they leave. 

"How's it feel? Being 21?" she asks, smiling up at him, "Also when'd you get so tall you asshole." 

"No different to being 20 and 364 days," he responds straight off the bat and she slaps his arm lightly. 

"Shut up, are you excited for the party?" 

"Oh so it's not a surprise anymore?" 

"I heard Percy telling you," she says, "I love him, but his brain is still full of kelp." 

He laughs, "Do I have to act surprised when we get there?" 

"Yes, speaking of, hope you're acting skills are up to par cause we're here," she says, gesturing to the karaoke bar they're now standing in front of. 

Five minutes later he's jammed between his brother, Nico and Will at a table. His friends spread across three tables, with Annabeth sharing one with Lou Ellen and Katie. The third table is made up of Cecil, Paolo and Austin. 

"Why did you choose a bar for this party if half the people attending can't drink? Actually why did you pick a bar for my party when I have no plans to drink?" he asks Travis, who jabs him in the ribs in response. 

"Because I want to see you embarrass yourself on stage, anyway, you guys being sober is great because the rest of us can get drunk off our faces." 

Travis quickly makes good on that statement, and an hour later he's pulling his brother onto the stage to sing, to many a whoop and holler. 

"I hate you," Connor laughs, sitting down after the song. 

"You were good," Annabeth says with a smile, "Oh hey, you're present, I almost forgot!" she pulls a bag out of her handbag and he stares at it dumbfounded. 

"It is my 21st birthday, the big 2-1, my true coming of age party," he says slowly, "And you got me M&Ms?"

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to doctorsolace on tumblr for the original idea of their friendship and to bfg11 (also tumblr) for their Connor Stoll headcanons cause they really helped with this.
> 
> Also oh my god that's a bad title.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @justa-random-lovely-blogger


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